V S G A GOLFERS OF THE YEAR
VSGA JUNIOR GIRLS ’ GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Caroline Curtis
HOME CLUB : Hermitage Country Club
QUICK TIP Curtis is confident in her technical preparation , so she focuses a lot of her on-course time on staying focused and in the moment . A key piece of advice : slow down .
“ I feel a lot of times — and I know this goes for other people , but especially for me — that when things start to go wrong , I start to speed up everything , the decisions that I make , my swing and the shots that I hit ,” Curtis said . “ Just try to take it slow on the course and think through everything and make sure you ’ re taking it one shot at a time .”
CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT Curtis , 15 , prefaced her strong run to the VSGA Women ’ s Amateur semifinals with a win against a veteran field at the Richmond Women ’ s Golf Association Amateur in June . In 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying , Curtis posted consecutive 69s to earn medalist honors by a shot over Amanda Hollandsworth .
“ I was hitting the shots that I wanted to hit and making putts when I needed to make them ,” Curtis said . “ I absolutely loved that course ( James River CC ). The course was in great shape and everything just set up for me really well . I just really had control of my game , basically that whole week .”
Curtis made her second straight trip to the tournament semifinals before falling to two-time champion Abby Portyrata . Though Curtis has yet to win an Amateur , she has no reason to hang her head , considering who she has lost to the last three years — Portyrata , USGA champion Lauren Greenlief and past Amateur champion Lyberty Anderson .
OFF THE COURSE Curtis still has two-plus years at Collegiate , but knowing where she will play after high school has helped her focus on and enjoy the rest of her junior golf experience . Why Georgia ?
“ When I first started out in the recruiting process , two things I wanted was a big school and I hate the cold weather , so I wanted something in the South ,” Curtis said . “ It fit perfectly . I talked to a lot of schools , but I seemed to mesh with Georgia .
2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
» Medalist at the 91st VSGA Women ’ s Amateur Championship . Curtis advanced to the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Abby Portyrata .
» Won the Richmond Women ’ s Golf Association Amateur Championship , topping Boodie McGurn in the title match .
» Ranked 116th nationally in the AJGA Polo Junior Golf Rankings .
» Posted five top-15 finishes — including three top 10s — in AJGA events in 2016 . Finished third at the AJGA Junior All-Star at Forsgate ; took fourth at the AJGA Junior All- Star at Bentwater ; and tied for eighth at the Scott Robertson Memorial .
» Committed to play golf at the University of Georgia following her graduation from Collegiate School .
I love their facilities . I love their coaches and the atmosphere down there . There ’ s obviously a drive to win SEC and national championships . That ’ s definitely one of my favorite things about it .”
34 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2017 vsga . org